Fall From Heights Accident in New York Results in $22 Million Award

A construction-related fall from heights accident in New York City over a decade ago has resulted in a $22 million verdict for a worker who plummeted off a bridge in the Bronx. A jury recently awarded the construction site accident victim after a protracted 10-year battle.

In 2008, iron worker Luis Colon was working on the Henry Hudson Bridge in the Bronx when something terrible happened. Mr. Colon lost his balance and fell 13 feet from a platform on the bridge on which he had been working. The victim suffered serious spinal injuries and had to undergo multiple surgical procedures-including spinal fusion. This extensive back injury left him suffering from chronic pain and while he's now employed and working, the pain which plagues him has significantly decreased his quality of life.

The victim's legal battle began in 2009, alleging that improper safety precautions had directly contributed to his fall. The MTA disputed liability for the fall from heights accident in the Bronx and Mr. Colon, for ten years struggled with medical bills, a decreased quality of life, and a decreased ability to earn a livable wage.

Finally, a Supreme Court jury decided that the MTA was responsible and awarded $22 million as fair compensation.

This personal injury case demonstrates the true nature of pain and suffering associated with construction injuries. While it's easy to put a price tag on the actual medical and hospital treatment, it is much more difficult to assign a monetary value to disability (or decreased ability) and chronic pain. It takes an experienced legal professional how to show and convince a jury that you do indeed deserve a seemingly large compensation package especially when the defense team is doing its best to paint your disability as a relatively minor injury.

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